With plenty of time to spare for the upcoming holiday shopping season, Sony said it has gone and answered the cries of its gamers who apparently wanted nothing more than to be able to buy a 320GB PlayStation console in standalone form. Now you can, so long as you have the requisite funds ($350).

"The digital distribution trend is undeniably gaining momentum, and we here at PlayStation are committed to providing you with the hardware you need to support as much downloadable media as possible," Sony stated in a blog post. "The 320GB PS3 system, which will retail for $349.99, has the largest storage capacity of any next-gen console and will continue to provide the same high-quality gaming that PlayStation fans have come to expect. For only $50 more, you get twice the storage capacity of the 160GB system."

$350 is a serious investment for a standalone console, though Sony makes a good point about the doubling of capacity for $50. That's great for digital packrats, but won't come as much consolation to those who simply want to game without spending several hundred dollars.

What are your thoughts on this? Would you be wiling to pay $350 for a 320GB PS3?